Merriam-Webster: Word Of The Year For 2023 is 'authentic'

With controversies surrounding ‘deepfake’ videos making headlines, Merriam-Webster Dictionary recently disclosed some of the most searched words of the year 2023. The revelation, made by editor Peter Sokolowski highlighted ‘deepfake’ as one of the top searches, but the word of the year was declared to be “authentic.”

Word of the Year: Authentic

Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.” “Authentic,” with meanings such as “not false or imitation” and “true to one’s own personality,” proved challenging to define precisely, prompting many to consult the dictionary. The term often revolves around identity, whether national or personal, influencing discussions on cuisine, self, voice, and more.

Notable Words of 2023

Here are some of the top words that gained attention in 2023:

1.Coronation

The word ‘coronation’ experienced a surge of 15,681% in lookups around King Charles III’s coronation ceremony on May 6, denoting ‘the act or occasion of crowning.’

2.Deepfake

With Elon Musk being the subject of deepfake videos in a Tesla lawsuit, ‘deepfake’ gained popularity. It refers to convincingly altered images or recordings meant to misrepresent someone.

3.Implode

The word ‘implode’ gained traction following the Titan Submersible implosion on June 18, meaning ‘to burst inward.‘

4.Deadname

‘Deadname’ witnessed search spikes amid legislative actions targeting LGBTQ rights. It refers to the name given to a transgender person at birth, no longer used after transitioning.

5.Doppelganger

Defined as a ‘double,’ ‘alter ego,’ or ‘ghostly counterpart,’ the interest in ‘doppelganger’ grew following the release of Naomi Klein’s book titled “Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World.”

6.Covenant

Surging lookups for ‘covenant’ occurred on March 27, after a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. It refers to a formal, solemn, and binding agreement.

7.Indict

The term ‘indict’ garnered attention when former President Donald Trump faced felony charges. It means to formally accuse or charge with a crime.

8.Dystopian

Global climate change drew attention to ‘dystopian,’ relating to an imagined state or society with great suffering or injustice.

9.Rizz

Added to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary in September, ‘rizz’ is a slang term for romantic appeal or charm.

10.Kibbutz

The search for ‘kibbutz,’ denoting a communal farm or settlement in Israel, spiked following a Hamas attack on October 7.

Reflecting on Diverse Events and Cultural Shifts Through Key Words

In a year marked by diverse events and cultural shifts, these words reflect the collective interest and concerns of people navigating the complexities of the world in 2023.

About Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster, an American company renowned for its publication of reference books, particularly dictionaries, holds the distinction of being the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States.
Merriam generates word entries by identifying instances of a specific word in printed materials and logging them into a citations database.
Merriam-Webster’s citation file encompasses over 16 million entries, capturing individual instances of word usage.